I've been looking for a while to replace my '97 Sport Nautique and to be honest was looking at X2's and SAN's as the replacement, I know the boats well and have ridden behind them.
In the UK there is not much in the way of stock of boats around the age and money I am looking at however have just come across a 2004 Malibu VLX which comes in a little cheaper than a comparable aged SAN or X2. I have very little knowledge of the 2004 VLX, so would be interested in some feedback on the basics such as wake, do you use a wedge or just sack it out , interior quality, any problem areas to look out for etc. benefits of VLX over X2 or SAN etc etc. Looking forward to the input. thanks!

kronoss

08-14-2012 9:38 AM

One thing i can tell you i don't like about the Malibu's is the wedge.
It relies on the wedge to make a rampy wake, and at the same time it eats almost double the gas while its activated.

Interior of the Malibu is probably one of the best, I like it more than SAN or MC, very spacious.

polarbill

08-14-2012 9:44 AM

Not from personal experience but from what I can tell the the VLX will be a slightly larger boat, with more interior seating space and more storage. I think quality wise it is very close to the other 2 boats. The VLX is probably the plushest out of those 3 boats. Personally I would probably choose a 2004 VLX if my choices were all the 2004 VLX, SAN and X2. That is with hours, options and colors being similar/good. I believe the wake of the VLX is the most rampy out of those 3. It seems some use the wedge, some use just ballast. In general the wedge would steepen the wake some and give it a nice lip although it may take away some from the hardness of the wake. As for things to look out for I can't think of much other then the regular stuff when looking at any boat. There may be 2 or 3 tower options. The Illusion is ok but low and the busings go bad some I think. The titan is the most solid but not the most attractive(if it is the titan series 1) and the Swoop(not sure if they still had in 04) looks nice but isn't that great I believe. I think the boat will be fine with the 320 LCR but if you plan on running lots of weight the monsoon or whatever the 335/340hp motor was called then.

All three of those boats are great.

alcarlaw1

08-14-2012 9:48 AM

thanks, will have to check which motor is in it. It has the swoop tower however.

slipknot

08-14-2012 9:56 AM

I had one. It is a great boat! I had 3-400 in pop products in the front, 750 bags in the rear (of course the center was filled) and did not use the Wedge unless it was only my wife and kids were in the boat. It made my wake a little lippier at the top. I would buy another. The 2004 SAN is not a rampy wake. The X2 IMHO would need the most ballast. But I do not proclaim to know it all here. I sold mine 3 years ago for $34K if that helps and it was loaded. Make sure the shaft seal does not leak but a drop every 10-15 seconds. Make sure the ballast all works on the boat. Good luck with your purchase. How many hours are on the boat?

polarbill

08-14-2012 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alcarlaw1
(Post 1775755)

thanks, will have to check which motor is in it. It has the swoop tower however.

I wouldn't let that deter me. Just check around the mouting feet to see if there is gelcoat cracking. Even if there is a little it is probably just cosmetic and isn't a big deal.

augie_09

08-14-2012 10:04 AM

you can get a great wakeboard wake out of the vlx. ours has 500 midship ballast and 400 in each rear locker and wake is great for me (intermediate level). I find the more ballast I put in, the less the wedge helps (floating wedge), so usually don't even bother with it. And the wedge will suck up more gas. The wake is nice from 50 to 80 feet back, clean the whole time.

The wake surf wave is not so great. There's not a lot of push to the wave and the pocket is small.

never been in an x2, but it does feel more roomy than the san like previously mentioned. the san's short small seats didn't work for me, 6'2".

alcarlaw1

08-14-2012 10:22 AM

I have being doing quite a lot of wake surfing lately, starboard side, so interested that you say the surf wake is not great on the VLX, The SAN's up to '03 I think are reverse rotation so favour the starboard side - wonder how they compare...

shawndoggy

08-14-2012 10:39 AM

none of those three are great surf boats.

you can get a decent wave out of the vlx hull but you have to really really sink it and know what you are doing driving it when loaded super heavy.

The vlx is an outstanding wakeboat imho. The wake is great and only gets better as you add weight. And it doesn't take a ton of weight to make a big difference in the wake either. Even two big friends in the boat will be noticeable.